5 players the Commanders can't afford to lose to injury in 2024
By Dean Jones
Sam Cosmi - Commanders OL
The Washington Commanders offensive line was a complete abomination last season. But amid all the chaos and embarrassing production, one shining light emerged.
Many wondered how Sam Cosmi would cope with his position change in 2023. The former second-round selection was switching from the edge to the right guard spot. As it turned out, any concerns were alleviated pretty quickly.
Cosmi was nothing short of sensational for the Commanders last season. He turned out in 1,103 offensive snaps, giving up four penalties and conceding just one sack. Couple this with his outstanding run blocking, and it's not hard to see why he was given a phenomenal 80.6 grade from Pro Football Focus as a result of his efforts.
The Commanders will be relying on Cosmi to continue this exciting upward trend next season. His supporting cast has been enhanced with the arrivals of Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti in free agency. This should solidify the interior in front of quarterback Jayden Daniels as the rookie looks to take the NFL by storm.
There is also some added incentive from Cosmi's perspective next season. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal and could make himself a ton of money with another outstanding campaign. Something he looks more than capable of following his long-awaited breakout.
If the Commanders lost Cosmi to injury for a considerable stretch of games, it would be disastrous. Their offensive line depth remains concerning, so the onus is on their starting figures to mesh quickly and stay relatively healthy. Anything less will come with huge ramifications attached.
The Texas product suffered some health complications over his first two seasons in the league. Cosmi bucked this trend by featuring on every offensive snap in 2023. This has to continue for the Commanders to stand any chance of keeping Daniels' pocket clean for long enough to do damage.